NCS Division I football roundup: James Logan runs over Freedom in NCS football playoffs

By Stephanie Hammon shammon@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted:
11/17/2012 09:55:24 PM PST

Updated:
11/17/2012 11:23:36 PM PST

James Logan High star Warren Miles Long had a career night Saturday in lifting the Colts to their first North Coast Section Division I quarterfinal win since 2007.

Visiting Freedom couldn't slow the Northwestern-bound star -- or hang on to the football -- in the No. 3-seeded Colts' 33-18 win.

Now Logan (11-1) is headed to the semifinals where it will face No. 2 California next Saturday at 7 p.m.

Long rushed for a career-best 290 yards, including touchdown runs of 18, 12 and 2 yards, while also recovering one of Freedom's four lost fumbles.

"Big players make big plays in big games, it's as simple as that," Long said.

The No. 6 Falcons (9-3), who had won eight straight games coming into the quarterfinal, turned the ball over five times total. Three of those came in the first half before the rain began and resulted in Logan taking a 20-2 halftime lead.

An interception on Freedom's first play from scrimmage led to a short field and the Colts' first touchdown. The costly turnovers continued from there.

Even Freedom's first touchdown of the game involved what could have been another miscue. Joe Mixon caught a short pass from Dante Mayes and fumbled when he was hit. The junior picked up the ball, reversed field and eventually found the end zone for a 18-yard score.

That touchdown didn't come until 54 seconds remained in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 27-10.

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Mixon also scored on a 1-yard run with 55 seconds to play for the final points of the game.

Logan quarterback Jeffrey Prothro scored on a 2-yard sneak in the second quarter to make it 20-0 and also threw a touchdown pass to Ryan Bua.

Freedom quarterback Mayes threw for 174 yards. Nine of his completions went to Washington-bound Darrell Daniels for 85 yards.

Freedom was held to its lowest point total of the season.

Amador Valley 28, San Ramon Valley 25: In a mistake-filled game and under heavy rain at times, the visiting Dons (8-4) hung on for a quarterfinal win.

The Wolves (6-6) turned the ball over seven times -- including four first-half fumbles. Amador Valley had four turnovers -- two fumbles and two interceptions.

The Dons, who have won five straight, advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2004 and will play at No. 1 De La Salle on Friday night at 7.

The Dons were effective in the ground game -- 296 yards. Leading the way was Alejandro Apodaca, who had 20 rushes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Teammate Sam Peters rumbled his way for 113 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown.

Apodaca's second TD of the game was 78-yard run that gave the Dons a 28-25 lead with 2:15 left in the third quarter.

Amador Valley took a 20-13 lead with 7:13 left in the quarter on a 15-yard run by Apodaca.

The fourth-seeded Wolves responded with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown by Peter Tagliaferri and a 56-yard scoring pass from Cameron Birse to Justin Bangay for a 25-20 lead with 3:01 left in the third.

Birse went 22 of 34 for 295 yards and three touchdowns, but he was intercepted three times. Bangay caught four passes for 107 yards.